First hospitality conference starts this month

The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul convention room where the Seoul Hotel Investment Conference will be held from June 22 to 23. [HOTELAVIA]

The first investment and development conference for the hospitality industry in Korea will run from June 22 to 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul.

The Seoul Hotel Investment Conference (SHIC) is intended to stimulate networking between investors from East Asian countries such as China, Japan and Hong Kong and hospitality business operators in Korea.

Big names such as the Bank of China and Morgan Stanley will be participating to explore investment opportunities in the Korean hospitality industry, according to the hosting committee.

The conference is jointly hosted by global hotel consulting service provider HVS, hospitality interior design company Hirsch Bedner Associates, hotel management company Seoul Lodge Hotels and specialized media outlet HotelAvia.

Government bodies such as the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization and legal firms such as Deloitte Korea and Hong Kong-based law firm Mayer Brown JSM are supporters of the event.

The main theme for SHIC 2016 is Optimal Investment Choice. Speakers from the Asian hotel industry will describe the outlook for the business in Korea and potential opportunities in the fast-changing hotel market.

German-born Daniel Voellem, managing partner of HVS Asia Pacific, will shed light on the investment outlook for the Korean hotel market while Baek In-kyoo, who serves as a service leader of the transaction service team at Deloitte Korea’s Merger & Acquisition Group, will introduce strategies for hotel investments and M&As. Other lecturers include Tan Juay Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of Ascendas Hospitality Fund Management.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]